Lint remover



Aug. 14, 1956 N. A. KENNON LINT REMOVER Fild Aug. 25, 1953 /Ve A.Kenna/7 INVENTOR.

LINT REMOVER Nell A. Kennon, Waco, Tex.

Application August 25, 1953, Serial No. 376,313

3 Claims. (Cl. 15-104) This invention relates to a lint remover of thetype employing as a cleaning or delinting medium sheet material having atacky adhesive surface, and more particularly to a device for containinga supply of such material and by which the material may be held in aposition to apply its tacky surface to an article to be delinted.

The invention has for an important object the provision of a holder fora delinting material having a tacky surface, whereby the material isenclosed when not in use to protect the tacky surface againstdeterioration, and by which portions of the material may be held withthe tacky surface exposed for application to an article to be cleanedthereby.

Another object of the invention is to provide a delinting device in theform of a hollow body within which a roll of sheet-like delintingmaterial may be rotatably carried and which is formed with a slotthrough which such material may be extended and wrapped about the bodyin position for ready application to an article to be cleaned.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a delinting devicecomprising a hollow body within which a roll of sheet-like delintingmaterial is carried on a rotatable shaft, and having means cooperablewith the body and shaft to permit the shaft to rotate to allow thematerial to be unrolled, which means is adjustable for use in rewindingthe material onto the shaft.

Another object of the invention is to provide a delinting deviceincluding a body about which sheet-like delinting material is adapted tobe wound in position for appli cation to an article to be cleaned andhaving means by which the body is rotatably mounted to allow the body tobe rolled over the article with the delinting material in contacttherewith.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a delintingdevice of the type referred to which is of simple design and ruggedconstruction and which can be easily and cheaply manufactured.

Other important objects and advantages of the invention will best beunderstood from the following detailed description, constituting aspecification of the same, when considered in conjunction with theannexed drawings, wherein Figure l is a side elevational view, partly incrosssection, showing the invention with the delinting material inposition thereon ready for application to an article to be cleaned;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view, partly in cross-section, takenalong the line 22 of Figure 5, looking in the direction indicated by thearrows and showing the structural details and arrangement of thematerial supporting parts of the device when in condition for winding upthe delinting material;

Figure 3 is a top plan view, partly in cross-section of the invention asillustrated in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a longitudinal, central, cross-sectional view, inperspective, of the shaft bearing and operating element of theinvention, separated from the remaining parts of the same, and

nited States Patent M 2,758,327 Patented Aug. 14, 195.6

Figure is a cross-sectional view, taken along the line of 55 of Figure2, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Referring now to the drawings in greater detail, the invention comprisesa body or housing 10, having a longitudinal, central bore 12 openingoutwardly at one end thereof, the other end of the housing beingextended longitudinal to form a reduced shank or stem, upon which ahandle 16 of convenient shape is rotatably mounted. The body may haveany convenient crosssectional shape, such as circular, or otherwise, andis provided with a longitudinal slot 18 opening into the bore, andhaving a reduced portion 20 which opens outwardly at one end of thebody. The body also has an internal annular groove 22, spaced somewhatinwardly of its outer end, and from which a longitudinal groove 24extends outwardly.

Within the body there is a rotatable shaft 26, journalled at its innerend in a counterbore 28, opening into the bore 12, and carried at itsouter end in a combined bearing and operating element 30, in the form ofa cylindrical plug which fits into the bore 12 and extends outwardlytherefrom beyond the other end of the body. The shaft 26 has at itsouter end a flattened end portion 32, which fits within a recess 34, ofcorresponding shape in the plug 30, whereby the shaft may be rotated byturning the operating element.

The combined bearing and operating element 30 also has a longitudinalcentral bore 36, into which the outer end of the shaft 26 is rotatablyreceived, when the element is arranged in the body in the reverseposition to that illustrated in Figure 2, so that the shaft may thenrotate freely in the body. The element 30 is provided with outwardlyextending lugs or projections 38 and 40, the projection 48 being adaptedto extend into the internal groove 22 when the outer end of the shaft isextended into the recess 34 of the operating element, whereby theoperating element is retained in position within the bore 12 inengagement with the shaft to rotate the shaft, and the projection 38being similarly disposed in the groove 22, when the outer end of theshaft 26 is extended into the bore 36 of the element 30, to retain theelement in position in the body for rotation of the shaft therein. Theprojections 38 and 40 are of a convenient length to permit the same topass through the groove 24 of the body, when in registration therewith,so that the element 30 may be readily removed from the bore 12,reversed, and again inserted in the bore into engagement with the outerend of the shaft 26 when desired.

The device, constructed in the manner described above, is adapted foruse with any convenient type of delinting material, such as, sheet-likematerial 42 having a tacky or adhesive surface 44. Sheet material of thetype known as Scotch tape, or the like, is particularly suitable for usewith the device, and is preferably wound onto the shaft with the tackysurface innermost, so that no portion of the tacky surface is exposeduntil it is required for use.

In making use of the invention the delinting material may be wound ontothe shaft 26, in the manner described, and the roll of material thusprovided inserted in the body, by positioning the inner end of the shaft26 in the counterbore 28, and the outer end of the shaft in the bore 36of the operating element 30, so that the shaft is free to rotate in thebody. In placing the roll of material in the body, a portion of thematerial may be unwound and inserted edgewise through the narrow portion20 of the slot 18, whereby the unwound portion of the material willextend through the slot 18, when the shaft is positioned in the body.The unwound portion of the delinting material may then be wrapped aboutthe 3 exterior of the body, in the manner indicated in Figure 1 of thedrawings, with the tacky surface 44 of the material facing outwardly,and the material adhered to itself to retain it in position on the body,whereupon the device may then be used to remove lint from articles ofclothing or the like by contacting the tacky surface with such articles.

Due to the tacky nature of the exposed surface of the delint-ingmaterial, particles of dust, lint, and the like, on articles of clothingor other objects to be cleaned, readily adhere to the device and arelifted from the surface to be cleaned when the delinting material isbrought into contact with the same. In this manner such articles may beefficiently cleaned without brushing, so that the dirt removed isretained on the tacky surface and is not scattered about or distributedthrough the air to contaminate the same or deposit on other articles. Inusing the device it may be moved over the surface of the article to becleaned with :a brushing motion, or if desired the body may be rolledover the surface by means of the rotatably mounted handle 16.

When the delinting device has been used, in the manner described above,the extended portion of the delinting material may be unwrapped from thebody, and by rotating the operating element 30 with the outer end of theshaft 26 in the recess 34, the material may be rewound onto the shaftand retained in the body for subsequent reuse when desired. Usedportions of the delinting material may readily be torn off the roll ofthe material in the body and discarded, and new portions of the materialcan be unrolled and wrapped about the body to provide a fresh tackysurface for further cleaning operations.

It will thus be seen that the invention, as described above, provides adelinting device of simple design, by which a supply of delintingmaterial may be readily carried about in condition for immediate usewhenever required.

The invention has been disclosed herein in connection a certain specificembodiment of the same, but it will be understood that this is intendedby way of illustration only, and that numerous changes can be made inthe construction and arrangement of the various parts without departingfrom the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus clearly shown and described the invention, what is claimedas new and desired to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A device of the character described comprising an elongated hollowbody having an end opening and an elongated slot opening into theinterior of the body and leading to the exterior thereof, a shaft in thebody rotatably engageable at one end with the body, bearing means havingone end rotatably positioned in said end opening and being reversible toengage its other end rotatably in said opening, said other end of saidbearing means and the other end of said shaft having complemental partsengageable with each other when said other end of said bearing means isengaged in said end opening for rotating the shaft with said bearingmeans, sheet material wound on said shaft and having a tacky surface andadapted to be extended through said slot and wound about the exterior ofthe body with said tacky surface outermost.

2. A device of the character described comprising an elongated hollowbody having an end opening and an elongated slot opening into theinterior of the body and leading to the exterior thereof, :a shaft inthe body rotat ably engageable at one end with the body, bearing meanshaving one end rotatably positioned in said end opening and beingreversible to engage its other end rotatably in said end opening, saidother end of said bearing means and said other end of the shaft havingcomplemental parts engageable with each other when said other end ofsaid bearing means is engaged in said end opening for rotating the shaftwith said bearing means, interengageable means on the bearing means andbody for releasably retaining either end of the bearing means in saidopening, sheet material wound on said shaft and having a tacky surfaceand adapted to be extended through said slot and wound about theexterior of the body with said tacky surface outermost.

3. A device of the character described comprising an elongated hollowbody having an end opening and an elongated slot opening in the interiorof the body and leading to the exterior thereof, a shaft in the bodyrotatably engageable at one end with the body, bearing means having oneend in said end opening and being reversible to engage its other endrotatably in said end opening, said other end of said bearing means andsaid other end of the shaft having complemental parts engageable witheach other when said other end of said bearing means is engaged in saidend opening for rotating the shaft with said bearing means, said bodyhaving an internal annular groove within said end opening, and means onthe end portions of said bearing means positioned to enter said grooveupon insertion of said bearing means in said end opening and engageablewith the body in said groove to retain said bearing means in said endopening.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,017,160 Parker Oct. 15, 1935 2,153,573 Kinloch Apr. 11, 1939 2,592,969Stachowiak Apr. 15, 1952 2,652,205 Balaban Sept, 15, 1953

